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Warning against Partiality

My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality.(A) For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here in a good place, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit by my footstool,”(B) have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?(C) But you have dishonored the poor person. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into the courts?(D) Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

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Do Not Show Partiality

My brothers, do not let your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[a] be tainted by favoritism. Suppose a man wearing gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly,[b] and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in. If you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Please take this seat,” but you say to the poor man, “Stand over there” or “Sit on the floor at my feet,”[c] then you will have made false distinctions among yourselves and will have judged from evil motives, will you not?

Listen, my dear brothers! God has chosen the poor in the world to become rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who keep on loving him, has he not? But you have humiliated the man who is poor. Are not rich people the ones who oppress you and drag you into court? Are not they the ones who blaspheme the noble Name[d] by which you have been called?

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:1 Or Christ
  2. James 2:2 Or synagogue
  3. James 2:3 Lit. Sit at my footstool
  4. James 2:7 I.e. God